BOOKS OF FAITH
Abraham, Pearl
The Romance Reader
1995. 296 p.
Rachel, daughter of a Chassidic rabbi, rebels against her strict Orthodox upbringing. She
reads romances, acquires a library card, and becomes a lifeguard. Getting caught only
compels her to hide her actions. She finds, though that she cannot escape her heritage as
her parents arrange her marriage in a coming of age novel that immerses the reader in her
life and culture.
Anaya, Rudolfo A.
Bless Me, Ultima
1972. 248 p.
An innocent young boy, Antonio, is guided by his curandera (healer), Ultima, as he
struggles to understand the great questions of his life-religion, myth and healing,
family, tradition, and the Chicano culture of his New Mexican homeland.
Appel, Allan
High Holiday Sutra
1997. 240 p.
In a humorous and confessional Yom Kippur sermon, unconventional, Rabbi Jonah Grief
relates the story of his struggle for enlightenment. Beginning with his bar mitzvah, he
chronicles his adolescence, his unconsummated first marriage to the dynamic but
narcissistic Brandy, and his tortured search for meaning in and out of Judaism.
Ultimately, a second marriage and his discovery of Buddhism allow him to begin to make
sense of the universe.
Bradley, Don
Angels In a Harsh World
1998. 302 p.
Haley, Olsten, a proper Bostonian young woman whose birth was accompanied by the famous
comet and whose future has been foretold and eagerly awaited by the spirits of good, finds
herself on a journey of self discovery. Joining a friend on a trip to India, she discovers
the love of her life and finds angels even in the depths of degradation. Her destiny
ultimately leads her to prewar Berlin and the greatest challenge of all—pure evil.
Brady, Joan
God on a Harley: A Spiritual Fable
1995. 147 p.
Burned out in her career, disappointed in love and hoping for a new start, Christine moves
back to her hometown in New Jersey. While walking on the beach one night, she meets a
young man on a Harley. Joe is a mysterious fellow who appears at unexpected times,
especially when Christine feels most dejected. During the course of their strange
relationship, Joe manages to communicate a few spiritual principles that help Christine
live a more satisfying life. A light romantic fantasy leaves the reader with something to
ponder.
Caldwell, Taylor
Great Lion of God
1970. 629 p.
This fictional biography of Saul (Paul) of Tarshish (Tarsus) makes use of biblical and
historical material to provide Saul with a childhood and family. As he matures, Saul is a
devout student of the Torah, eagerly awaiting the birth of the Messiah. Refusing to accept
Jesus as the answer to his prayers, Saul persecutes those who believe in him. After an
experience on the read to Damascus, Saul shows as much zealousness toward Christianity as
he has earlier shown against it. Because of his change of heart, he is distrusted by both
sides and becomes a very lonely man, exiled from his native land.
Calia, Charles Laird
The Unspeakable
1998. 214 p.
Is Father Jim Marbury a true healer or merely a priest who has descended into madness? Was
Marbury’s voice really stolen by God during a life-changing experience, or is he just
refusing to speak? Peter Whitmore, an old friend from the seminary and now with the
Archdiocese of St. Paul, is sent to investigate the miraculous claims. A moving
story--examines friendship and faith.
Card, Orson Scott
Lost Boys
1992. 448 p.|
Step Fletcher has moved his wife DeAnne and their three eldest children to Steuben, North
Carolina. Where once he thought they’d had it made, now they’re scraping the
bottom of their savings. Steuben seems quiet, with an established Mormon congregation that
will help them get a foothold in their new surroundings. But things don’t seem right
somehow, as their oldest son, eight-year –old Stevie, becomes more and more
withdrawn. Their faith and family will need every ounce of strength to deal with the
hidden horror that threatens not only Stevie, but all the little boys of Stueben. Deeply
foreboding and suspenseful, Lost Boys is a chilling exploration of the evil without and
the goodness within human lives.
Card, Orson Scott
Songmaster
1978. 277 p.
This novel retells the Old Testament story of King David. Emperor Mikal has conquered most
of the worlds in the Galaxy. When he arrives at the Songhouse of Tew requesting the
services of one of the exceptionally gifted "Songbirds," it takes almost a
century to find one suited to him. The result is Ansset, a nine- year old orphan. For the
first time in his life, Mikal becomes vulnerable. Soon after, Mikal’s enemies kidnap
Ansset and turn him into a living weapon of destruction. With gentle wisdom, the author
illustrates how love can lead to hate and mistrust through misunderstanding.
Dickinson, Peter
Tulku
1993. 286 p.
The destruction of his father’s mission leaves young Theo dazed and questioning his
faith. Fleeing the Boxer Rebellion, Theo joins Mrs. Jones, an Englishwoman
"botanizing" in China, on a journey to Tibet. Their trek to a Buddhist monastery
exposes Theo to hardship, narrow escapes, and the colorful Mrs. Jones. Although Theo is
repelled by the trappings of Buddhism, he repeatedly experiences its power. When the Lama
demands his help in discovering the newest incarnation of the monastery’s master,
Theo begins to accept the power of the Buddhist’s faith while his own faith matures
and grows strong.
Douglas, Lloyd C.
Magnificent Obsession
1929. 330 p.
When attractive man-about- town Bobby Merrick is knocked off a sailboat while in a drunken
stupor, his life is saved by a resuscitator owned by a much loved brain surgeon.
Unfortunately, as a result of his machine being in use, Dr. Hudson himself is drowned.
Recovering from his close call with death, Bobby begins to investigate Dr. Hudson’s
background and finds a notebook written in code which seems to hold the key to a
successful and good life. Can he change his ways and make up the loss of the doctor?
Fillerup, Michael
Beyond the River
1995. 252 p.
Track and football star Jon Reeves could be any young man from a comfortable background
looking forward to a successful future. However, that he is Mormon, and thus as certain
obligations and responsibilities sets him sets him apart. This first person account of a
young man’s struggle with his faith takes him from his high school days in the late
1960’s to middle age, 30 years later, when, haunted by the memory of Nancy, the young
woman who inspired him intellectually and was his first love, he returns to his hometown
to exercise the ghosts of his past. Details of his religious beliefs and responsibilities
frame this novel of both coming of age and midlife crisis.
Giles, Janice Holt
The Believers
1957. 214 p.
After childhood sweethearts Rebecca and Richard Cooper join a Kentucky Shaker community,
their lives change as they learn that husbands, wives, and their children live apart and
come together only for meals and that Utopia can be riddled with bigotry as well as
saintliness.
Golden, Marita
A Woman’s Place
1986. 240p.
Three young African American women search to find their places in the world. Crystal bares
her soul through her poetry and struggles with an interracial, and Serena serves others
through her work in Africa in the aftermath of war. However, Faith uses the Muslin faith,
her home, and her family to fill the empty spaces within. Over the years their friendship
sustains and enriches them as three very different women seek happiness and fulfillment.
Hesse, Hermann
Siddhartha
1951. 152 p.
A young Brahmin’s son in ancient India believes that he too can find the harmony that
Buddha preaches, but in his own way, and he embarks on a lengthy quest for inner peace and
spiritual maturation.
Hillerman, Tony
The Ghostway
1984. 213 p.
Sergeant Jim Chee loves Mary Landon, a teacher from Wisconsin, but can he give up his
tribe and his future as a tribal singer to marry her and join the FBI, a oath that will
clearly take him from the reservation? Navajo religion and tradition run deep in Chee: his
thought processes and actions all stem from his attempt to live the Navajo Way, which
requires one to live in beauty and harmony. In this episode, it is precisely Chee’s
knowledge of Navajo ritual concerning the dead that leads to the solution of the multiple
murders.
Howatch, Susan
Glittering Images
1987. 399 p.
The charismatic Bishop of Starbridge is beloved by his congregation, but his outspoken
criticism of the Church’s divorce policy pits him against his superiors. Looking for
ways to suppress him, the Archbishop of Canterbury hires Charles Ashworth, a doctor of
theology, to spy on the Bishop. Charles soon learns that the Bishop, his wife, and her
attractive companion are involved in a menage a trois. Devastated by this discovery,
Charles is left in a quandary—should he make his findings public and bring down the
Church? First of six novels on the Church of England, this series presents the pageantry
and failings of this mighty religious institution.
Hunt, Angela Elwell
Dreamers
1996. 395 p.
While remaining true to the biblical account of Joseph in Egypt, this story is told as
seen through the eyes of the Egyptians in the Eighteenth Dynasty. Tuya comes to
Potiphar’s household as a teenage slave, a personal gift from the mighty Pharaoh.
Soon after, another young slave Joseph, comes to Potiphar. Strangely, he seems lighted
from within. Gradually, Tuya and Joseph begin to share their dreams, talking often of
freedom and love. But as quickly as their fates begin to entwine, they are torn apart.
Will the dreams they share destroy them both? Volume one of the trilogy "Legacies of
the Ancient River".
Karon, Jan
At Home in Mitford
1994. 446 p.
A dog disciplined with biblical quotations, a new neighbor in pink curlers, and a stranger
who descends from the church attic during a Sunday morning service are among the joys and
trials of Father Tim, Rector of Lord’s Chapel, the Episcopal Church of Mitford, North
Carolina. This is the first in as series of gentle but powerful novels with memorable
characters and a Christian approach to small town values.
Krich, Rochelle Majer
Speak No Evil
1996. 402 p.
When two prominent women attorneys are found shot to death with their tongues cut out,
Debra Laslow, a criminal defense attorney, is suspected of murdering them. One of the
cases Debra is defending- a doctor accused of date rape by his receptionist- keeps
intertwining itself with the cases of the two dead attorneys. Debra finds that her faith
is becoming an issue in her case since the receptionist is part of her close-knit Orthodox
community. Debra consults with her father, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, about the case, and
his Talmudic advice helps her understand the fine line between her devout religious
beliefs and her job. When two more attorneys are killed, Debra finally makes the
connection between her rape case and the murders. With her life in danger, she races to
expose the murderer.
LaHaye, Tim and Jerry B. Jenkins
Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days
1995. 468 p.
Soon, in the twinkling of an eye, many people will disappear. Left Behind deals with the
rapture of the church and the chaos that will erupt with many people disappearing at the
same time. How do the people left behind deal with the loss of their loved ones? Was it a
UFO abduction? Was it the rapture according to Revelations in the Bible? This book is
followed by Tribulation Force, Nicolae and Soul Harvest, with a total of seven books
planned for the series.
Lewis, Beverly
The Shunning
1997. 283 p.
In anticipation of her approaching marriage to Bishop John, Katie Lapp has gone to the
attic to find her mother’s wedding dress. Next to it in the trunk is a satin baby
dress. Why does the dress give her such a feeling of longing? She is prepared to be a
difficult wife to the Bishop, and a good mother to his growing children, but first she
must find answers to her questions. The shunning is her community’s reaction to her
search for the truth and her disobedience to the orders of the Church. This gentle book
portrays the beliefs and obligations of the members of an Amish community and the longings
of a young woman about to take a major step in life.
Morgan, Marlo
Mutant Message Down Under
1991. 187 p.
During a four-month-long journey through the Australian outback with a tribe of nomadic
Aborigines called the "Real People," Marlo Morgan learns how humans can live and
thrive in natural harmony with plants, animals, their environment, and each other.
Newman, Sharan
Death Comes as Epiphany
1993. 319 p.
Catherine LeVendeur enters the Convent of the Paraclete to study and devote her life to
God. But the Abbess Heloise has other ideas. She needs Catherine to find out who has
altered a psalter, copied by Catherine, to make it appear that Father Abelard is a
heretic. Catherine agrees to leave the Convent, apparently in disgrace, so she can conduct
her search of the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Little does either woman realize the dangerous,
tangled web into which Catherine is venturing. Set in 12th-century France, this
story presents a vivid picture of the politics and passions of the Catholic Church during
that time. This book is the first of a series.
Parker, Gary E.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
1994. 253 p.
As Burke Anderson, a 29 year-old minister, prepares to eat a lonely dinner, old college
roommate Walt Litske knocks on the door. His gift is to leave Burke with an attractive
call girl. Even though to the woman, Carol Reese, Burke explains his occupation and that
his congregation would fire him in a minute if they knew he was with her. When he leaves,
he begins to sense the odor of onions, a symptom of an incipient epileptic seizure. Two
days later he returns to Carol’s condominium and discovers her body. Knowing he was
one of the last people to see her alive and fearing his epileptic attack may have caused
her death, he flees, and with the help of a former addict friend, seeks the true solution
to Carol’s murder.
Paton Walsh, Jill
Knowledge of Angels
1994. 268 p.
How do we come to know of God? On a medieval Mediterranean island "somewhat like
Mallorca, but not Mallorca," a feral child is the center of a theological experiment
to determine how one arrives at an understanding and belief in the existence of the
Almighty. Thoughtful, suspenseful, and beautifully written, this is a luminous, mystical,
and unforgettable story of the meaning of faith. It was a Booker Award nomination in 1994.
Potok, Chaim
The Chosen
1967. 284 p.
Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter live within five blocks of each other in the Williamsburg
section of Brooklyn during World War 11, but live in entirely different worlds. Reuven
comes from an orthodox Jewish tradition, while Danny belongs to a very strict Russian
Hasidic Jewish sect. As Reuven and Danny become friends, they begin to learn about each
other’s worlds. Danny, who is supposed to follow his father as rabbi of the sect,
wants to study psychology, and Reuven’s father guides him. Reuven furthers his Talmud
studies from Danny’s father and leans towards becoming a rabbi, even though his
father wants him to be a professor. As the boys go to college, their friendship helps them
defy their fathers and find their own paths.
Prose, Francine
Household Saints
1981. 227 p.
Can miracles exist in today’s world? Will we recognize them as God’s work, or
are we too jaded? When Joseph wins Catherine in a pinochle game, he cannot imagine all the
miracles in store for him. A happy marriage, the birth of a daughter, and a successful
business are all part of his wondrous life. But when Jesus appears to his teenage daughter
while she is ironing, Joseph’s religious background comes into direct conflict with
his skeptical mind. This charming depiction of life in Little Italy raises questions about
Catholicism in daily life.
Russell, Mary Doria
The Sparrow
1996. 408 p.
In 2019, the world receives undeniable evidence of an extraterrestrial intelligence. In
2021, while politicians debate whether and when to attempt contact, the Society of Jesus
privately sends its own mission to contact " God’s other children." In
2059, Father Emilio Sandoz, sole survivor of the Jesuit mission, returns to earth,
physically and spiritually destroyed. The Jesuits and the world must ask: Could a mission
begun so joyfully and reverently go so disastrously wrong? Or, might the effects of the
mission on Rakhat and on Emilio still be part of God’s plan?
Schaap, James Calvin
The Secrets of Barneveld Calvary
1997. 190 p.
Every Sunday morning the parishioners of Barneveld Calvary Church are asked to share their
joys and concerns; but the minister of this small Iowa town knows that these brief
petitions don’t begin to express the long held grudges, family secrets and wild pasts
of his parishioners. In these related stories, the minister reflects on where faith and
love or their luck take us: a man at peace with his memories of liberating Dachau, a woman
still unforgiving about the death of a brother 40 years ago, and the church organist who
loves her son but can’t accept his lifestyle.
Sheldon, Charles M.
In His Steps
1897. 242 p.
A minister and his church members are transformed into true disciples of Christ as they
choose His behavior as their reference point in their day-to –day decisions. Church
members pledge for an entire year not to do anything without first asking, " What
would Jesus do?" In the light of Christ’s example, their choices become much
more clear cut, and yet much more difficult and painful as lives are changed forever.
Stokes, Penelope J.
Home Fires Burning
1996. 333 p.
The first in the "Faith on the Home Front" trilogy introduces us to the
inhabitants of Eden, Mississippi, a small town just beginning to feel the impact of World
War 11. Libba, young, spoiled and impatient, shares an apartment with her two cousins,
Mabel Rae and her sister Willie. These three women’s lives will all be changed by a
USO dance where Libba will meet Link and forget all about the mild-mannered boyfriend who
brought her to the dance. Willie will encounter Owen, who falls head- first for her low
voice and clear blue eyes. And Mabel Rae, seemingly left on the sidelines, will finally
meet, through thoughtful, tender letters, the kind of man she has secretly dreamed of.
Stokes brings the reader into each person’s heat and mind as they explore their faith
and what it means to them in their individual moments of struggle and life-changing
decisions.
Stracher, Cameron
The Laws of Return
1996. 245 p.
Growing up in the wealth suburbs of New York, blond-haired, blue-eyed Colin Stone
can’t seem to find his place in the world. Not believing in the Judaism of his
Yiddish- speaking grandparents, he still feels the weight of Jewish history behind him.
Colin’s search for meaning continues through his stoned high school years, college at
an Ivy League school,, and then Harvard Law School. Only after finding an eccentric new
girlfriend and confronting strong anti-Semitism of his new boss, does he discover some
ultimate truths about himself and being a Jew.
Trobaugh, Augusta
Praise Jerusalem!
1997. 285 p.
Amelia, a genteel Georgia widow, finds herself in the embarrassing situation of being
broke and house poor. She is the last survivor of her circle of friends, and, to top it
all off, she finds herself saddled with a tacky roommate named Maybelline, after a tube of
mascara. Rather than face financial embarrassment in her hometown, Amelia agrees to move
to Maybelline’s Granddaddy’s place in Jerusalem, Georgia. On the road trip,
Amelia’s mind wanders back to one particular summer of her childhood when she came
under the care of elderly, black Aunt Valley. The lessons Aunt Valley taught on compassion
and love were never needed more than in these trying times.
Vaughn, Ellen
The Strand
1997. 323 p.
Anne Lorelli appears to have a most satisfying life, with a wealthy, handsome husband and
a beautiful home. On the night of their twentieth anniversary, Paul and Anne stroll from
the expensive restaurant and encounter a sneering gunman, who demands watch, wallet and
Anne’s pearls. As the cord breaks and the pearls scatter, the mugger fires; and Anne
watches disbelievingly as Paul bleeds to death in front of her. In the days that follow,
Anne discovers that the life she believed in is as fragile as that strand of pearls, as
the police gradually uncover the shocking truth about the attack-and its true target. Anne
finds consolation and new depths in herself through volunteering at an inner-city church
school, but confronts violence again in a shattering event that tests her new found faith.
Williamson, Penelope
The Outsider
1996. 464 p.
Following the hanging death of her husband by a vigilante group, Amish Rachel Yoder
struggles to make a life for herself and son Benjo on their sheep farm in Montana. When
injured killer Johnny Cain stumbles onto her property, Rachel’s life as one of the
Plain People changes. She nurses the handsome "outsider" back to health and
convinces him to stay and help her with her farm. Rachel fights her attraction to the man
who cannot adopt her simple, devout ways. After Rachel and Johnny give in to their
passion, Rachel defies her family and friends to renounce her faith. This Western romance
is the story of faith, trust, and redemption.
Wojtasik, Ted
No Strange Fire
1996. 400 p.
One night in December 1992, seven barns belonging to Amish families in the Big Valley area
of Pennsylvania go up in flames. The story of the barn burnings, and subsequent search for
the arsonist, becomes a vehicle for the author’s respectful description of the
lifestyle of the Nebraska Amish in the 1900s. Details of farming,, family life and dress,
courtship rituals, church services, and the defection of one of their own young Amish men,
all unfold through a series of flashbacks and the ongoing investigations of the local
Sergeant Stuter and FBI Agent Tate. The novel is based on an actual incident.
This
page is designed and maintained by the Rolling Meadows Library
Please direct questions and comments to:
Mary Constance Back, ARRT Homepage Coordinator
mary.back@rmlib.org
URL
http://www.rolling-meadows.lib.il.us/ARRT/
Copyright © 2000 Rolling Meadows Library
This page was last updated on 03/19/2007.